Southside OKC Memories....anyone?

[RealJimbo]

OK, if you know me, you know that I was born and raised north side (south of Britton), but I did live southside for a few years, too. 1968-1969 I worked for Little Jim's. I worked in all of their stores but one. They used me to clean them up, organize and get sales/profits in line then moved me to another store. I spent a couple months at the store on S. Central. Friends, I have hung around some rough neighborhoods...the one I grew up in was rough...but that was scary-rough. I made some friends there but there were some people I was just downright scared of and I ain't scared of anything...except my wife (I have to sleep sometime.).

One night, my friend's uncle ("Bob"), who was drunk - his usual condition - pulled his 1950 ford up and left it running. He put it in neutral and got out, but lost his balance and caught himself by grabbing the door. When he grabbed the door, it caused the car to roll backward which caused him to fall. When he fell, his legs went under the car and the car rolled back over his legs. I was watching him the whole time. He got up very slowly and wobbled into the store, falling from one aisle to another. He stepped up to the counter and asked for some Lucky Strikes. I sold them to him and he left, got back in the car and drove off. Next day he came back in the store, sort of sober. I asked him how he was doing and he said "my legs hurt something awful!!" He didn't remember a thing about running over himself.

[papaOU]

OK, if you know me, you know that I was born and raised north side (south of Britton), but I did live southside for a few years, too. 1968-1969 I worked for Little Jim's. I worked in all of their stores but one. They used me to clean them up, organize and get sales/profits in line then moved me to another store. I spent a couple months at the store on S. Central. Friends, I have hung around some rough neighborhoods...the one I grew up in was rough...but that was scary-rough. I made some friends there but there were some people I was just downright scared of and I ain't scared of anything...except my wife (I have to sleep sometime.).

One night, my friend's uncle ("Bob"), who was drunk - his usual condition - pulled his 1950 ford up and left it running. He put it in neutral and got out, but lost his balance and caught himself by grabbing the door. When he grabbed the door, it caused the car to roll backward which caused him to fall. When he fell, his legs went under the car and the car rolled back over his legs. I was watching him the whole time. He got up very slowly and wobbled into the store, falling from one aisle to another. He stepped up to the counter and asked for some Lucky Strikes. I sold them to him and he left, got back in the car and drove off. Next day he came back in the store, sort of sober. I asked him how he was doing and he said "my legs hurt something awful!!" He didn't remember a thing about running over himself.

That area from Shields east, between 29th and Reno has always been rough. When I was growing up we never went past Shields. Went to CHJH and CHHS with a lot of guys from there and if you ever saw them in a fight they were always out for blood. They were not satisfied with beating a person up, they wanted to really hurt that person.
Many used to saw that things were rough in that area because the people were oilfield workers. Don't know.

[Generals64]

OK, if you know me, you know that I was born and raised north side (south of Britton), but I did live southside for a few years, too. 1968-1969 I worked for Little Jim's. I worked in all of their stores but one. They used me to clean them up, organize and get sales/profits in line then moved me to another store. I spent a couple months at the store on S. Central. Friends, I have hung around some rough neighborhoods...the one I grew up in was rough...but that was scary-rough. I made some friends there but there were some people I was just downright scared of and I ain't scared of anything...except my wife (I have to sleep sometime.).

One night, my friend's uncle ("Bob"), who was drunk - his usual condition - pulled his 1950 ford up and left it running. He put it in neutral and got out, but lost his balance and caught himself by grabbing the door. When he grabbed the door, it caused the car to roll backward which caused him to fall. When he fell, his legs went under the car and the car rolled back over his legs. I was watching him the whole time. He got up very slowly and wobbled into the store, falling from one aisle to another. He stepped up to the counter and asked for some Lucky Strikes. I sold them to him and he left, got back in the car and drove off. Next day he came back in the store, sort of sober. I asked him how he was doing and he said "my legs hurt something awful!!" He didn't remember a thing about running over himself.

================================================== ========
And you thought you were a South Sider.....Welcome to the Southside world...

[gen70]

Now...that's funny.

[papaOU]

I did not want to start another thread so I'll post here.

Anyone else been by Lee school lately? They are doing a massive add-on to the south side of the school.

[Generals64]

I did not want to start another thread so I'll post here.

Anyone else been by Lee school lately? They are doing a massive add-on to the south side of the school.

================================================== =========
I saw that the other day, Lee has always been Kept up and then Herronville has had a face-lift also...they took most of the playground up...I also went by Arthur and it looks exactly like it did in 1958.....Which makes absolutely No sense.... Other than the Hispanic Art (Grafitti) on the building Roosevelt too looks like it did in 1960.... I don't know why the School Board doesn't build a few "Alternative" schools and send the kids that think they are so bad to them and let the kids that WANT to learn attend the regular schools;.....Now for the Soap Box...

My wife taught for one year at Seeworth Academy on N Kelly....Not in Edmond trust me.....Those kids had one choice....Do as the teacher tells you or go BACK to Jail.....It wasn't a wonderful place to be in but, they taught Life-learning skills......I'll never forget my wife staying late one day and taught some of the eighth grades boys how to pop Regular popcorn and how to make instant Mac and Cheese......Yep, these kids (in OKC) didn't know how to make Popcorn...Pop....w/o a microwave......That's probably something most of our kids will never do........The Principal Carried (and still does) a 9mm pistol and two sets of hand cuffs on him at ALL times.....

[Generals64]

Does anyone remember when the Grant Square Shopping center was NOT there? If so, what was on the S.E. corner of 44th and Penn and what was it's claim to fame?????

[papaOU]

Does anyone remember when the Grant Square Shopping center was NOT there? If so, what was on the S.E. corner of 44th and Penn and what was it's claim to fame?????

An abandoned cemetery converted to a landfill...

I'm sorry.

That stench carried by the south wind was/is Grant H.S.......

[gen70]

Does anyone remember when the Grant Square Shopping center was NOT there? If so, what was on the S.E. corner of 44th and Penn and what was it's claim to fame?????

I was born in 1952 and don't know but, you better tell us. I lived on 50th street straight across from U.S. Grant.

[Prunepicker]

In 1387 the Norse took what we call the Mississippi River to the Arkansas
river. They settled about 30 miles south of Poteau, which is Norse for
'we're lost." During the period from 1387 to 1521 little is known about the
area we now call Grant Square. Archeologist have discovered several used
Viking Ship Shops that were intact. It's a fact that Thor Parks was
involved in many of the advertisements.

In 1729 Sal Renoir, a painter, bought the land and grew fruit trees to
paint. He was such a bad painter that he had to start selling the fruit from
the trees. Unfortunately the fruit was not capable of growing in Oklahoma
and he went broke. He sold the land to an animal veterinarian in 1751.
The vet bought the land because he was eccentric as well as stupid. To
make a long story longer, Horst Longmire, a Fuller Brush salesman, ended
up with the property in 1921. Nobody knows why but it's rumored that the
vet was incompetent and and spent what money he made playing Bingo at
the Y on S. Pennsylvania, but it wasn't called Pennsylvania at the time. It
was know as Beauregard Boulevard. Burt Schmier had a mail route on that
street that was originally started by Ben Franklin, not the statesman but
the idiot that didn't know what to do with the Woolworth stores he bought
in Chicago.

This led to a series of gang wars and tea parties. The gangs were known
as Knitting Clatches. Some became Quitting Bees. Know body knows what
became of the Tea Parties, except there is evidence that they didn't use
English tea. This was a crucial turning point because the Czechs that
moved in to the area from Korea started planting bodies in the area now
called S.W 44th street. They were hoping to populate that part of the city
but lack of watering and intelligence put a stop to that real fast.

I'll explain the rest of this in another post.

Prunepicker

[Generals64]

In 1387 the Norse took what we call the Mississippi River to the Arkansas
river. They settled about 30 miles south of Poteau, which is Norse for
'we're lost." During the period from 1387 to 1521 little is known about the
area we now call Grant Square. Archeologist have discovered several used
Viking Ship Shops that were intact. It's a fact that Thor Parks was
involved in many of the advertisements.

In 1729 Sal Renoir, a painter, bought the land and grew fruit trees to
paint. He was such a bad painter that he had to start selling the fruit from
the trees. Unfortunately the fruit was not capable of growing in Oklahoma
and he went broke. He sold the land to an animal veterinarian in 1751.
The vet bought the land because he was eccentric as well as stupid. To
make a long story longer, Horst Longmire, a Fuller Brush salesman, ended
up with the property in 1921. Nobody knows why but it's rumored that the
vet was incompetent and and spent what money he made playing Bingo at
the Y on S. Pennsylvania, but it wasn't called Pennsylvania at the time. It
was know as Beauregard Boulevard. Burt Schmier had a mail route on that
street that was originally started by Ben Franklin, not the statesman but
the idiot that didn't know what to do with the Woolworth stores he bought
in Chicago.

This led to a series of gang wars and tea parties. The gangs were known
as Knitting Clatches. Some became Quitting Bees. Know body knows what
became of the Tea Parties, except there is evidence that they didn't use
English tea. This was a crucial turning point because the Czechs that
moved in to the area from Korea started planting bodies in the area now
called S.W 44th street. They were hoping to populate that part of the city
but lack of watering and intelligence put a stop to that real fast.

I'll explain the rest of this in another post.

Prunepicker

================================================== ========
You have got to be totally out it....Grant Square was vacant except for a Texaco Station on the S.E. Corner of 44/Penn. One night a carload of Capitol Hill High School guys drove up and down Penn with a pistol shooting at the buildings......etc.......They got lucky and hit the outside Clock and shot the hands off of it. They got so excited they found a police officer and was bragging about how good of a shot they were. It was all over the newspapers and oh yeah the CHHS "Smart guys"....Went to Jail. The clock was there (minus the hands) until they tore the building down....

[corpsman]

================================================== ========
You have got to be totally out it....Grant Square was vacant except for a Texaco Station on the S.E. Corner of 44/Penn. One night a carload of Capitol Hill High School guys drove up and down Penn with a pistol shooting at the buildings......etc.......They got lucky and hit the outside Clock and shot the hands off of it. They got so excited they found a police officer and was bragging about how good of a shot they were. It was all over the newspapers and oh yeah the CHHS "Smart guys"....Went to Jail. The clock was there (minus the hands) until they tore the building down....

Now go easy on him General, he did do a gig with BLT last night.

[Generals64]

Now go easy on him General, he did do a gig with BLT last night.

================================================== =========
Yeah and tonight he has to put up with me.......Been waiting on this one.....

[CarltonsKeeper]

Do you know what business originally occupied the land where Lee Way use to be???

[Generals64]

Do you know what business originally occupied the land where Lee Way use to be???

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++No, I never thought about that.....what was there....Oh Yeah check your PM

[corpsman]

================================================== =========
Yeah and tonight he has to put up with me.......Been waiting on this one.....

Best of both worlds as it were

[CarltonsKeeper]

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++++++No, I never thought about that.....what was there....Oh Yeah check your PM

The Oklahoma City Dump!!

[Generals64]

The Oklahoma City Dump!!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Unreal:....I do know that as a kid my grandfather ran the dump over on South Portland. You know me....your Friend Danny and i would go out there and just dig until his mother found out what was going on....

[Generals64]

Here's one for you:....Why did they make 36th st. a boulevard?....I don't know either.... Also, do you guys remember the Rancho Village Shopping Center???I remember there was a Variety store there for the longest time.....

[CarltonsKeeper]

Here's one for you:....Why did they make 36th st. a boulevard?....I don't know either.... Also, do you guys remember the Rancho Village Shopping Center???I remember there was a Variety store there for the longest time.....

36th St (Grand Blvd) was originally designed to circle ALL of Oklahoma City!! If you remember, I went to Ranch Village Elementary for quite sometime. That was Hollie's Variety store!!!

[Generals64]

36th St (Grand Blvd) was originally designed to circle ALL of Oklahoma City!! If you remember, I went to Ranch Village Elementary for quite sometime. That was Hollie's Variety store!!!

================================================== =========
O.K....I know they weren't very friendly.....Did they have anything to do with Hollie's Drive Inn????

[CarltonsKeeper]

================================================== =========
O.K....I know they weren't very friendly.....Did they have anything to do with Hollie's Drive Inn????

They were not friendly at all, walked around and watched every move you made like you were a thief! Being that close to the school they probably did have a few theft problems. They were not connected with Hollie's Drive IN, they were both well up into their seventies when I was six or seven yrs old!!

[Prunepicker]

Here's one for you... Why did they make 36th st. a boulevard? I don't know
either... Also, do you guys remember the Rancho Village Shopping Center? I
remember there was a Variety store there for the longest time...

It was Grand Boulevard and circled the city. Maybe it was an attempt to
be unique. Doug might know.

Yount's was the grocer in Rancho Village. We rarely went there. Knew the
butcher who was there a long time, Jerry Thompson.

[sam greenroyd]

================================================== ========
You have got to be totally out it....Grant Square was vacant except for a Texaco Station on the S.E. Corner of 44/Penn. One night a carload of Capitol Hill High School guys drove up and down Penn with a pistol shooting at the buildings......etc.......They got lucky and hit the outside Clock and shot the hands off of it. They got so excited they found a police officer and was bragging about how good of a shot they were. It was all over the newspapers and oh yeah the CHHS "Smart guys"....Went to Jail. The clock was there (minus the hands) until they tore the building down....

I remember the station now that you mention it, I worked at a DX station straight accross the street west

[Generals64]

I remember the station now that you mention it, I worked at a DX station straight accross the street west

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yeah, then the McInnis Brothers put in a doctor's office and a Pharmacy in that stations place.....I want to say the area was empty in 1957 but in 59 (my eighth grade year) we use to go to a hamburger joint there for lunch and the Jewel Box Florist had just begun.....